New digital project will help Carmarthenshire’s heritage sector

Students from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) are about to embark on an innovative project looking at how new technology can help the heritage sector in Carmarthenshire.
The project will look at the latest digital interpretation technology and will help create a new product aimed at encouraging heritage tourism in Carmarthenshire and increasing the footfall of heritage sites within the county.
Led by UWTSD, the project will bring together a number of students from a wide range of courses currently studying at its Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea campuses to work alongside professionals from the digital sector to create a bespoke new product. The type of technology used and the nature of the content will be driven directly by the needs of Carmarthenshire’s heritage organisations.
In order to ensure that the digital solution is tailored to answer the demands of the county’s heritage sector, the project team is encouraging as many people from Carmarthenshire’s heritage organisations to take part in the project.
A meeting will be held on the University’s Carmarthen Campus on Thursday 6th April 2017 for the team to meet with representatives from the heritage industry who are interested in feeding into the project. It will also be a forum to share ideas about the type of digital solutions that would benefit their needs and have a positive economic impact on their organisation.
“This is a great opportunity for the heritage sector in the area,” says Executive Project Officer, Nerys Evans, who’s leading the venture on behalf of the University.
“We’re extremely excited about working with a wide range of heritage organisations across Carmarthenshire to discover new and innovative ways of engaging with potential visitors and of increasing footfall for the sector.
“In order to understand the needs of the industry, we are now inviting anyone involved with a heritage attraction in Carmarthenshire to be part of the project. This is a project that must be guided by the heritage organisations who’ll be using and marketing this viable product,” adds Nerys.
This is also a great opportunity for UWTSD students across the institution. Not only is the University engaging with Heritage Management students it’s also working with students from a range of other courses including, Computing, Film and Media, Business and Education.
“This multi-disciplinary approach will ensure that we utilise talent from across the University and that we replicate the type of collaboration that would occur naturally within the digital industries,” continues Nerys.
The students will also benefit from the expertise of professionals working within the digital sector. UWTSD will be collaborating with creative consultants who’ll be running workshops with the students and mentoring them throughout the process. The University will also be appointing an experienced digital producer to co-ordinate the project and to guide the whole process.
If you work for a heritage organisation or work within the heritage sector in Carmarthenshire and are interested in attending the meeting and being part of the project, please contact Sarah Kelley for details of the time and venue by emailing s.kelley@uwtsd.ac.uk or by calling 01267 676729.
The project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (RDP), which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.